By Nate Loken | May 10, 2021 |
You may or may not have heard that KSS has been producing its very own musical, but what’s really going on with the production?
Well, for starters, the musical has been written and composed entirely by KSS students under the supervision of Ms Hale. They have been writing since the beginning of the school year, and remain optimistic about presenting it in person sometime next school year.
The musical follows four high school students carrying impactful secrets: Toby, a reserved teen struggling to stay afloat amidst problems at school and at home. Savannah, a shy and passionate girl. Carlos, a self-absorbed, self-proclaimed “cool guy” whose reputation torments him. And Amira, an enthusiastic girl who is never taken seriously and desperately reaches for popularity. How will these unalike individuals survive on their own with heavy secrets weighing them down?
The team has had to overcome a variety of challenges to make the musical a reality. Primarily, COVID-19 has had a huge impact on the method of production. It’s no longer possible to perform the musical live, even with masks and social distancing. However, this creative and resilient group decided to make the production the best it can possibly be by submitting a video of one scene from the musical into the National Theatre School’s Dramafest Salon.
The National Theatre School’s Dramafest Salon is an event dedicated to showcasing Canadian youth work in theatre. This year due to the pandemic, it is an online event with presentations in video format instead of live shows. The festival’s website claims they seek to “foster a safe, nurturing and creative space for HighSchool Drama students to showcase their work.” Check it out for more information.
For the last two weeks, actors at KSS have been filming themselves in their homes, using whatever props available to them to knit together the scene for the festival. The filming style is inspired by this scene from Hairspray or this celebrity production of the princess bride. The filming is almost complete and will soon be edited together by Levin Kroenke, who has been helping out with the technical aspects of production for a long time.
Below are two bloopers by yours truly; enjoy.
The musical is still very much in progress and if you are interested in joining the team, contact Priya Ramachandran on Instagram @priy.a_r and at ramachandranr@limestone.on.ca, or Paige Ingham @paige_ingham or at inghamp@limestone.on.ca.
Sounds like a great project. Can't wait to see it!
What a fantastic actor, hollywood quality.